Inyathi Hospital found with obsolete equipment amid rural health oversight tour

BUBI, MATABELELAND NORTH - The Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, chaired by Thokozani Khupe and led by Daniel Molokele, has raised alarm over obsolete medical equipment at Inyathi District Hospital, following a multi-province oversight tour of rural health institutions.

The committee visited several facilities between 6–9 October 2025, including Inyathi District Hospital (Bubi, Matabeleland North) and Avoca Rural District Hospital (Insiza, Matabeleland South), to assess infrastructure, service delivery, and medicine availability.

At Inyathi Hospital, the committee commended the facility's cleanliness and recent acquisition of X-ray and dental equipment, but noted that some critical medical tools remain outdated and require urgent replacement. Hospital officials appealed for increased government funding to improve operational efficiency.

On 7 October, the committee toured Avoca Rural District Hospital, where authorities requested the reintroduction of the Results-Based Financing (RBF) programme to support essential medicine procurement and infrastructure rehabilitation. They also appealed for the construction of a mortuary, citing acute water shortages as a major challenge.

Further visits included Gundura Rural Health Centre (Masvingo Province) and Mutiusinazita Rural Health Centre (Buhera, Manicaland). At Gundura, the committee identified serious gaps, including:

- Inadequate staff accommodation  
- Limited mobile network coverage  
- Poor transportation access  
- Shortages of chronic disease medications  
- Insufficient linen supplies

Hospital officials stressed the need for urgent financial support, noting that the collapse of the RBF system had left them unable to fund critical services.

At Mutiusinazita, which serves over 16,000 people, the committee praised the availability of essential medicines and ARVs, but raised concerns over health worker welfare, including calls for salary increases, improved allowances, and decent housing. The committee also urged the revival of Community Health Committees to strengthen engagement between communities and the Ministry of Health.

The oversight tour aimed to inform policy improvements and ensure equitable rural health service delivery across Zimbabwe.